JAMES RICKARDS HIGH SCHOOL

JAMES RICKARDS HIGH SCHOOL is a substantial senior high in TALLAHASSEE, Florida, overseen by LEON. The school educates 1,718 students in grades 9 through 12. Compared to the state average of about 1,035 students per school, that is 66% larger than typical.

LEON runs 51 schools in total, collectively educating 31,579 students. JAMES RICKARDS HIGH SCHOOL is one of those campuses.

Demographically, JAMES RICKARDS HIGH SCHOOL lists that Black students make up the majority at 71%; the rest breaks down as 10% Hispanic, 8% White, 7% Asian, 4% multiracial. That is noticeably more Black than the county at large, where the share is closer to 30%.

On the income-and-resources front, On paper, JAMES RICKARDS HIGH SCHOOL has 66 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 26.2:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 23.5:1, putting JAMES RICKARDS HIGH SCHOOL higher than the state norm the norm. About 52% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a number frequently used as a low-income enrollment indicator. By comparison, Leon County runs at roughly 41%, so the school's eligibility rate is higher than the surrounding baseline.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, JAMES RICKARDS HIGH SCHOOL sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 55.2%; this one delivers 50.1%.

In the area at large, census data for Leon County shows median household income runs about $66,287, 49% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and census figures put the poverty rate at about 10%. In all, Leon County runs 63 public schools (combined enrollment of about 35,246 students), of which JAMES RICKARDS HIGH SCHOOL is one.

Nearest neighbor: FAIRVIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL, around 0.7 miles off. 8 of the 8 nearest public schools sit inside a five-mile radius. On composite proficiency, JAMES RICKARDS HIGH SCHOOL comes 2nd of 7 in the immediate cluster, above the nearby-schools average of 44.2%.

The school occupies a city-core site.

Trend over the last 7 years. Over the past 7-year window, the student count edged up 27%: 1,352 students in 2018 compared to 1,718 in 2025. Black enrollment moved from 78% to 71% across the same window. The student-to-teacher ratio rose from 21.8:1 in 2018 to 26.2:1 today.

In the discussion threads here, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.